Someone Like you
by AlisonCarlaKing
Summary: Set 3 months after Franks Murder, Carla was still with Peter and had Underworld, but she felt that something was really missing in her life...
1. Chapter 1

_**Set 3 months after Franks Murder, Carla was still with Peter and had Underworld, but she felt that something was really missing in her life...**_

_Chapter one –You will find him next to me_

"Carla, darlin' you alright?" calling at her from a husky voice next to her. She recognized the voice but wanted it to be a dream. She was all intertwined in the bed sheets. She could feel a warm and gentle touch on her arm, it was him; the man she loved so dearly, the man she stole from her ex-best friend, the man she stole from his son, the man who killed Frank Foster. Peter Barlow.

She came round from her dream, a dream which she had been having every night for the past 2 weeks. She didn't understand why, but nowadays she didn't understand a lot of things if she was honest. As she opened her tired eyes and looked up she saw the most beautiful man standing over her, "You alright love? You looked like you were having a nightmare, was ya re-living it again?" Peter questioned her. "Errrmmm...no I wasn't, I was just...I can't really remember what I was dreaming about?" Carla replied trying to convince Peter that she couldn't remember what she was dreaming about, but she could alright.

A few hours later Carla headed into work; a place which was beginning to feel like hers again and not that vile monster's. It had been 3 months since Frank Foster was murdered at Underworld by Peter. Although Peter did not get put into prison for the murder, Anne did. She had confessed to killing Frank after finding out that her son had actually raped Carla.

Michelle was already in the office and had a white coffee with no sugar waiting for Carla on her desk. "You alright Car?" Michelle asked looking worryingly at Carla, who was dressed in leggings paired with a nude pink slouch perfume top with her hair all scraped back into a ponytail, with a light covering of make-up. Michelle knew that whenever Carla had her hair pulled back like that; and not a lot of make-up on that something wasn't right. "Yeah I'm top of the world Chell, I just wish everyone would stop asking me that!" Carla snapped back. "It's just..." Michelle hesitated. "What Michelle, go on spit it out!" Carla was intrigued now but she had a faint idea what she was talking about.

_**Reviews very welcome! Hope you like it, I have got a lot planned for this fanfic, I know it's only short but wanted to see what you thought first.**_


	2. Chapter 2

–_Sometimes it last in love, but sometimes it hurts instead._

An hour later, Carla had returned to the factory after switching her phone off and storming out. She couldn't cope with this, not now! But she knew that by storming out like she had on Michelle would resort in the Spanish inquisition. AS she entered the office she could see Michelle was not happy, she was sat there with her knee length boots resting on the edge of her desk whilst chewing the end of her pen in disappointment. "Go on then lets here your excuse as to why the hell you just stormed out, when I was only wondering how you were!" Michelle asked. "I just can't deal with this, not right now and especially not today!" Carla snapped back. "But Car you're going to have to sometime. You have moved on, you're with Peter now." Michelle replied knowing that this wasn't the case.

Carla knew that she wasn't going to be able to get away from it this time. After all this time it wasn't a dream and she couldn't wake up from it. As if on cue Peter walked into the office, and she knew she wouldn't have to talk about this know. He walked over to the love of his life and planted a tender loving kiss on her cheek, "hey baby, you alright?" he asked in his usual sexy husky voice. Carla just took a deep breath before saying "Yes Peter I am fine why on earth wouldn't I be, that rapist is dead, I have you, I have MY factory back and you didn't get sent down. So yeah I am fine so now will everyone stop asking me?" Peter looked at Carla in complete shock, he couldn't understand why she was being so cold towards him this past week. Carla had gone to the toilets, leaving Michelle and Peter speechless.

"Peter do you know what day it is?" Michelle asked. "No should I? Oh my God it's not her birthday is it? Oh no it can't be that's next month..." Peter replied slightly confused. "No its..." Michelle started to say just as Carla returned. "You two talking about me again? What's the problem I've said I'm fine, I'm actually really good for a change!" Carla stated. "Are you sure Car because I know how hard today is for us lot." Michelle responded just to make sure. "I'm going to head off I have got some work to do at the bookies and I'll leave you two to have a chat. See ya later Chell and I love you baby" Peter said as he left the office kissing Carla on his way out.

"What do you mean 'I know how hard today is'?" Carla questioned Michelle who was now stood right in front of Carla still looking concerned. Michelle could see that Carla knew deep down what and who she was on about but she did not want to let her guard down and risk getting hurt again, because last time she did that she got raped... "Car it's our Liam's 4th anniversary of his death." Michelle replied nearly whispering, as she was nearly in tears. Michelle was right; Carla knew exactly what she was on about, because with just the mention of his name she broke down in tears, collapsing on the floor in a heap. Michelle quickly grabbed hold of Carla and embraced her. The two Connor women sobbing on each other, as Carla tried to talk it was as if she had no voice, her mouth was opening but no sound was coming out.

Half an hour later when the pair had composed themselves, Carla was ready

to talk, "I have been trying to put it in the back of my mind but I just can't, it's like he won't let me and it's not like I want to forget about him because I don't; I just want to move on. He was and is still the love of my life." Carla sobbed, "I will always love him no matter what. Yes Peter has my heart now but he can never have it all, Li..." Carla paused as if she couldn't say his name "Liam will always have a part of it no matter what. Every night I go to sleep, I have the same dream; the night me and Liam spent our first night together and I know you don't really want to hear this as he is your brother, but who else am I meant to talk to?" Carla wondered. Michelle didn't particularly mind because she knew that Carla made her brother happy and when Carla spoke about Liam it was like the old Carla again, a certain smile returned to her face and she seemed more bubby. "I honestly don't mind babe, because you made each other happy it's just a shame things turned out the way they did hey? So go on tell me about this dream, but please let's keep it PG as yeah I am his sis." Michelle joked giving Carla a little wink, allowing her to let out her infamous dirty giggle.

Carla and Michelle decided to head of back to Carla's flat to continue this conversation with bottle of wine and some food...


	3. Chapter 3

–_We found love in a hopeless place._

Carla and Michelle arrived back at the flat. Whilst Michelle went and got glasses for the wine and plates for the fish and chips Carla headed to the bathroom to look at her appearance. She had mascara down her face and big puffy eyes, but somehow still looked stunning. "I can't believe you let me leave the factory like this Chell, thought you cared about me?" Carla called out to Michelle who laughed "I do and you still look gorgeous" she replied as she walked into the bathroom to kiss Carla on the cheek. "Yer yer" Carla said sarcastically. "Nah com'on I thought we were going to have a chat?" Michelle questioned whilst gesturing at the sofa.

A few hours, two bottles of wine and a hell of a lot of tears later, Carla had managed to tell Michelle about the night she and Liam had spent their first night together. How passionate, loving and real it had been and how she wishes she was back there and not in this whirlwind that was her life right now. She wanted to be having that dream and not the one she was having continuously when she closed her eyes every night. "Carla do you love Peter?" Michelle questioned. "Yeah of course I do." Carla replied defensively. "Well darlin' I know you still love our Liam but you need to move on, me of all people know how hard it is. After all I have had to do it twice, but it's not like you are forgetting them because I know you haven't forgot our Paul; and you were able to move on from him –with Liam. So move on from Liam with Peter." Michelle was now sat holding on to Carla ever so tightly. "Yer I know but..." Carla sounded defeated. "I just, I don't know. I can't seem to get him out of my head. I keep having a dream where he is stood over mine and Peter's bed crying and shaking his head at me in disgust and I tell him that "I am sorry, miss and love you", and he replies with "no you're not you never loved me!" Michelle do you think he really believes that? Because I did, I do love him!" Carla cried out! "Oh darlin' of course he doesn't believe that. That's your imagination. He knew you loved him, I mean every time he saw you, heard your name or talked about you I saw it in his eyes how happy you made him and how much he loved you back. I just wish you told everyone sooner and not just me. I hated keeping that secret from everyone but knowing how happy you too were it felt right to." Michelle reassured Carla.

Carla decided to go back to work at the factory even though Michelle didn't want her to. She sat at her desk whilst Michelle was on the work floor, she opened her draw to get an order, as she moved it she noticed a mug; but it wasn't just any mug it was the mug that Liam had bought her with 'The Bitch' written on it. She looked at it and smiled whipping the stray tears away that fell slowly down her soft skin. She got up and swung the office door open resulting in everyone's attention being on her now. She strutted out the office with a huge grin across her face and a glint in her eye; she looked for Michelle and just gave her a wink. A wink which Michelle knew that Carla was going to be ok and maybe return to the old Carla sometime soon. Carla walked over to the kitchen with her head held high and with a certain swagger. She made a coffee in THE mug. The factory workers watched puzzled her as she walked passed; "You alright Mrs.C?" Sean asked confused. "Yer thank Sean, actually I'm feeling amazing so if you wana all go home early you can!" Carla replied feeling very generous.


	4. Chapter 4

_-I want you back._

Once all the workers had left and the place was empty, Carla sat in the office; at her desk with her high heels propped on the edge of the desk, with a blank look on her face as she stared aimlessly at her computer screen. She felt a cold shiver down her spine, a shiver that was oh so recognizable, the same shiver she got when she saw him for the first time after he was set free from raping her. She believed that this shiver was because of the eerie atmosphere in the factory now that she was on her own in there and there was no Sean or Janice gossiping and laughing. She told Michelle that she would be home in half an hour that was 2 hours ago.

She broke down into tears, loud meaningful sobs; now she was alone she realised that no one could hear her that she could let out how she really felt and no one could judge her. She took her phone out of her bag and went to select Michelle's number so she could ring her and tell her not to worry that she would be home soon, but instead of doing that something made her go through her pictures. She slowly went through her memories in the pictures, ones of her and Peter in the park on their first public outing as a couple, ones with the whole Connor Clan but then she ended up looking at a picture which gave her a pang of guilt and made her feel worthless and dirty; it was a picture of her and Frank in the house they were going to buy before he turned out to be a evil, disgusting and vile creature; before he raped her. All of a sudden she felt a wave of anger succumb her, she got up out of her chair resulting in the black leather desk chair spinning round and a round, she walked out on to the factory floor banging the office door into the wall as she did so, she walked over to the shelves with the neatly placed fabric on them and just ripped them all off the shelf allowing them to all fall on the floor in a heap. Just as she was about to start ripping them up into shreds she heard the factory door open... In walked Sally. "Carla?" Sally exclaimed as she was taken aback by what she was greeted with; the sight of Carla in a hysterical state, the same Carla Connor that was the iron woman, the one that never let anything faze her, but not this time clearly everything had gotten on top of her and she just couldn't cope.

"Carla, you alright? Its ok come here!" Sally explained as she embraced Carla. As Sally held Carla tightly she could feel her flinching, this was a result of what HE did to her, but at the same time she could feel her letting down her barriers slightly. "I don't want to be her..." Carla whimpered. "we can go back to mine if you like, everyone is out. Or I could take you home or to Peter's?" Sally comforted her. "No...no, I mean I don't want to be alive anymore, I don't want to be in this rotten world. I want to be dead, I want to be in the ground with.." and at that moment Carla brought her barriers back up and realised that she couldn't continue that sentence to Sally or to anyone for that matter. She hated not being able to tell anyone how she really felt, who she really missed and who she loved so deeply that it hurt. No one would understand it, no one not even Michelle really. "With who Carla?" Sally asked puzzled. "No one Sally." Carla snapped back. "Carla its ok you can tell me, I won't judge I swear." Sally reassured her. "Oh its nothing love im just being silly." Carla tried to sound convincing but deep down she knew that she wasn't convincing Sally at all. "You don't mean him..do you?" Sally was sure that she didn't but she just wanted to check. "Ohh definitely not I might be stupid in love, but I was never in love where he was concerned. I am glad that he was murdered and yeah I do wish it wer me that did it, but unfortunately it wernt. I'm just happy that I will never have to see him again, oh well until I close my eyes and re-live it all again that is but you get what I mean. Right now I feel like something is missing in my life and I know what it is but I cant have it..."Carla began to open up to Sally. "I wish I could but I cant, its something I want more than anything and even saying this makes me feel like I am cheating on Peter..oh god I feel so guilty!" Carla continued. "Your on about Liam aren't you?" Sally questioned. "Oh no is it really that obvious?" Carla replied allowing her head to fall into her hands with shame. "Carla whenever anyone mentions his name or anything to remotely do with him your face lights up like a little childs on Christmas morning, and when you use 'that' mug for your coffee you are always in a good mood for the whole day. Yes we all know that he bought you that mug!" Sally winked and giggled at Carla now who was wincing with embarrassment. "You see Carla we do take notice us workers. We love it when your happy not only do you let us leave early but we can see the old Mrs.C coming back slowly. But it doesn't just happen when anything to do with Liam crops up but when you see Peter or talk about him to Michelle, maybe its not a drastic or obvious but its there and I can see that side of you wanting to come out but its like you wont let it. I know that you want to be seen as this hard-faced cow with the dirty giggle but you have to remember that I have seen the other side to you when I told you about my cancer and how you were there for me every step of the way." Sally said truthfully, Carla was astonished by what she had just heard, she always believed that no one really cared or took any real notice of her. She had been proved wrong.

Half an hour and a deep heart to heart Sally had decided to go across to Dev's shop and buy a bottle of wine because although Carla was an alcoholic or a recovering-alcoholic or whatever Sally knew that Carla was heart-broken now and a glass or two of wine would really help right now. Whilst Sally was gone Carla stayed where she was in a heap on the floor with mascara stained cheeks and matted hair, she desperately hoped that Liam would not be able to see her like this because she felt like a right mess. However Liam had promised to love her no matter what and he meant it.

Just as she was about to get up and move Peter walked through door, "Car where are you baby?" "Hey love I'm over here" Carla replied quietly. Peter rushed over to her as he could hear the fear in her voice. "Oh god Carla are you alright? What's happened? Have you been drinking?" Peter questioned her, "Yeah Peter I am fine, no I haven't been drinking yet...i just broke down everything got on top of me and Sally found me and I'm all good now." Carla explained to Peter, but it hurt her so much to see the pain in his eyes. "What do you mean 'yet'? I thought you were doing well, you know if you ever need to talk that's what I am here for. It hurts me to think that you feel as though you can't talk to me. Nothing that you could say or do would make me love you any less, NOTHING CARLA!" Peter was in tears by now. "No darlin' it wasn't like that I swear, although I don't want to talk to you about what is up with me because its selfish and not fair on you, but I know you are there for me and I love you for that honest. I am doing well but me and Sal are going to have a glass of wine and a chat back at hers, I shall be home later, don't wait up I love you." And with that Carla gave Peter a kiss on the lips and ushered him out of the door. She watched as he walked confusingly over to his father's house to collect Si she presumed that's why he went there anyway. She saw Sally come out of the shop so she quickly turned off the lights and locked the factory door. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket as Sally tried the door she quickly pressed ignore on the call and switched off her phone.


End file.
